Combination strip light



Feb. 25, 1969 R. c. PICCOLA 3,430,039

COMBINATION STRIP LIGHT Filed Aug. 2. 1966 I Sheet of 2 INVENTOR.

RICHARD C. PICCOLA 5y ATTORNEYS Feb. 25, 1969 R. c. PICCOLA COMBINATIONSTRIP LIGHT Filed Aug. 2, 1966 INVENTOR. RICHARD I C. PICCOLA ATTORNEYSUnited States Patent 7 Claims This invention relates generally to acombination strip light and more particularly to an arrangement forsupporting incandescent and fluorescent lighting apparatus forpreselected combinations of such lighting apparatus in accordance withthe illumination requirements of any particular situation.

Fluorescent ligthing for general area illumination is of course wellknown with such lighting providing for generally uniform dispersion oflight throughout a wide area. For emphasis in a particular area or for aparticular subject it is desirable to spot light the area therebyraising the lumens incident on a particular point. This may preferablybe done with incandescent lighting apparatus whose direction can moreeasily be controlled.

In prior art lighting, it has generally been necessary to provide aplurality of apparatus or fixtures for the various lightingrequirements, viz a series of fluorescent fixtures for generalillumination and variously placed incandescent fixtures for highlightillumination.

As may well be understood, in any particular installation, the cost ofthe installed lighting fixtures will be directly proportional to thenumber of fixtures based on the cost per fixture as well as the cost forstructurally mounting and electrically connecting each fixture.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improvedstrip light which, in a single fixture, includes means for providinggeneral area illumination as well as means for providing highlightillumination.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved fixtureincluding both fluorescent and incandescent illumination.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved strip lightwhich requires only a single structural installation and which includesat least one fluorescent light source and one incandescent light source.

Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part beobvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.

Generally speaking, in accordance with the invention, a housing isprovided for supporting electrical elements capable of starting andilluminating at least one fluorescent tube. In combination with portionsof said housing is at least one incandescent socket assembly which ispreferably swively mounted so that the direction of the spot lightcarried thereby can be physically controlled in contradistinction to thefixed general illumination mounting of the fluorescent tube.

The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction,combination of elements, and arrangement of parts which will beexemplified in the constructions hereinafter set forth, and the scope ofthe invention will be indicated in the claims.

For a fuller understanding of the invention, reference is had to thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a combination strip lightconstructed in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention;and

FIGS. 2 through 6 are schematic plan views of various representativecombinations of fluorescent/incandescent lighting possible in accordancewith the teachings of this invention.

Patented Feb. 25, 1969 "ice Referring to FIG. 1, a housing 11 is formedas a U- shaped member having legs 12 and a base 13. The length ofhousing 11 is the developed length of the total strip taking intoaccount the number and location of incandescent and fluorescent elementsto be carried thereon. A U- shaped end plate 14 is provided at each endof housing 11 for selectively closing the end of the housing in order togive the strip a finished appearance. The end plate 14 may be secured tohousing 11 by means of screws 15. While formation of the end plate aspart of the formed housing is possible, it is preferable to form the endplate as a separate unit so that the end plates of contiguous strips maybe omitted if it is desired, in a particular installation, to run aseries of strips in alignment. In such event, end plates need only beprovided for the outer most ends of the two end strips of a contiguousseries.

A ballast 16 is secured, by any suitable means, to base 13 Within legs12. A face plate 17 having in-bent legs 18 from which project elongatedcars 19 is provided for, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, each end ofhousing 11. Suitable slots 21 are provided in legs 12 for receivingelongated ears 19 to thereby support face plate 17 on the housing withthe outside surface of the face plate substantially flush with the endfaces of legs 12.

A fluorescent lamp holder harness 22 is suitably secured to each faceplates 17 with the open portions of the harness facing one another. Theballast and the harnesses are suitably wired in a manner well known inthe art.

Extending between face plates 17 and secured thereto is a cover 23 whichalso acts as a reflector. The cover has in bent legs 24 which extendover the outsides of housing legs 12 with the cover being secured to theface plates by means of suitable screws 20. The cover not only acts togive the strip an attractive appearance by covering the ballast andinternal wiring, but the outside surface thereof also acts as areflector for dispersion of the light.

A fluorescent tube 25 has its ends mounted in harnesses 22 and extendsover cover 23.

In the FIG. 1 embodiment, a single fluorescent and double incandescentlight sources are provided. A swivel support 26 is mounted to thesurface of face plate 17 beyond harness 22 and carries a socket 27adapted to receive an incandescent bulb. Socket 27 is provided withsuitable wiring (not shown) for electrical connection of the socket intothe lighting circuit. Socket 27 may carry a reflector of any known typeto be used in conjunction with a standard incandescent bulb or with anincandescent bulb internally fabricated with a reflector portion, inwhich event the external reflector may be omitted, if desired. Swivelsupport 26 may be of any known type and is preferably of the type whichreceives the socket wiring therethrough in order to provide anattractive, finished appearance to the strip light.

With the strip light of FIG. 1 installed, general illumination ispossible by means of the single fluorescent tube 25 and highlighting maybe accomplished through bulbs mounted in sockets 27. Such a combinationstrip light would be especially useful in a retail establishment wherethe incandescent lighting can be used to highlight articles on display.Thus the provision of a swivel mounting for the incandescent socket isof considerable importance so that the areas highlighted can be changed,if desired, as displays are changed from time to time.

When wiring the combination strip light shown in FIG. 1, flexibility isprovided so that each of the three light sources may be separatelyswitched, switched as a unit or switched in any combination to providethe controls desired in any particular installation.

FIGS. 2 through 6 schematically show in plan view various combinationsof fluorescent and incandescent lighting possible in accordance withthis invention. The showing of FIGS. 2 through 6 is for purposes ofillustration and by no means limiting since, once having understood theinvention, one skilled in the art could develop an almost unlimitedarray of fluorescent and incandescent source combinations.

Thus, FIG. 2 shows a combination strip light having a singleincandescent and a single fluorescent light source while FIG. 3 shows acombination strip light having two fluorescent light sources located onopposite sides of a single incandescent light source. The combinationstrip light shown in FIG. 4 incorporates the arrangement shown anddescribed in connection with FIG. 1 wherein a single fluorescent lightsource is mounted in the combination strip light with two incandescentsources, one on each end of the fluorescent source. FIG. 5 shows acombination strip light with two fluorescent light sources interposedbetween three incandescent light sources and FIG. 6 shows a combinationstrip light having two incandescent light sources and two fluorescentlight sources with the fluorescent light sources being contiguous.

It will thus be seen that the objects set forth above, among those madeapparent from the preceding description, are efiiciently attained and,since certain changes may be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention, it is intendedthat all matter contained in the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the following claims are intended tocover all of the generic and specific features of the invention hereindescribed, and all statements of the scope of the invention which, as amatter of language, might be said to fall therebetween.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination strip light for general area and accent illuminationcomprising a housing, at least two face plates mounted in spacedrelation on said housing, at least one harness mounted on each of saidface plates in facing relation having means providing at least onemechanical support and electrical connection for a fluorescent tube, atleast one support mounted on one of said face plates beyond a facingpair of said harnesses, and a lamp socket carried by said support havingmeans for supporting an incandescent light source.

2. A combination strip light as claimed in claim 1 wherein said supportcomprises a swivel element adjustably supporting said lamp socket withrespect to its associated face plate.

3. A combination strip light as claimed in claim 2 wherein two faceplates are mounted on said housing each carrying a single harness, oneof said face plates extending beyond the harness mounted thereon awayfrom said other harness and having a single swivel support elementmounted thereon.

4. A combination strip light as claimed in claim 2 wherein three faceplates are mounted on said housing, the two outer face plates eachcarrying a single harness, the intermediate face plate being of greaterlength than said two outer face plates and having two harnesses mountedthereon in spaced relation and a single swivel support element mountedthereon between said spaced harnesses.

5. A combination strip light as claimed in claim 2 wherein two faceplates are mounted on said housing, each carrying a single harness, eachof said face plates extending beyond the harness mounted thereon awayfrom said other harness and each having a single swivel support elementmounted thereon.

6. A combination strip light as claimed in claim 2 wherein three faceplates are mounted on said housing, the two outer face plates having asingle harness mounted thereon, said face plates extending beyond theharness mounted thereon away from the center of said strip light andeach having a single swivel support element mounted thereon, the thirdface plate being intermediate said outer face plates and carrying twoharnesses in spaced relation with a single swivel support elementmounted thereon between said spaced harnesses.

7. A combination strip light as claimed in claim 2 wherein three faceplates are mounted on said housing, the two outer face plates having asingle harness mounted thereon, said face plates extending beyond theharness mounted thereon away from the center of said strip light andeach having a single swivel support element mounted thereon, the thirdface plate being intermediate said outer plates and carrying twoharnesses in adjacent relationship.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,503,876 4/1950 Krauss 24051.112,595,487 5/1952 Runge et al. 24051.11 2,665,372 1/1954 Wyman et a1.240-9 2,998,508 8/ 1961 Bobrick 2402 3,070,689 12/ 1962 McIntosh 24051.11

FOREIGN PATENTS 657,210 9/1951 Great Britain.

NORTON ANSHER, Primary Examiner. R. M. SHEER, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

1. A COMBINATION STRIP LIGHT FOR GENERAL AREA AND ACCENT ILLUMINATIONCOMPRISING A HOUSING, AT LEAST TWO FACE PLATES MOUNTED IN SPACEDRELATION ON SAID HOUSING, AT LEAST ONE HARNESS MOUNTED ON EACH OF SAIDFACE PLATES IN FACING RELATION HAVING MEANS PROVIDING AT LEAST ONEMECHANICAL SUPPORT AND ELECTRICAL CONNECTION FOR A FLUORES-